Liquid control device for duplicating machines



' July 21, 1942. w; PETERSON LIQUID CONTROL DEVICE FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed Oct. 14, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \lll llll l 2 INVENTOR.

Eric (1/ BR3715072- BY yaiemlam egfz iddfcfi.

July 21, 1942. E. w. PE'ILERSON LIQUID CONTROL DEVICE FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 z gj 2m 6 Filed on. 14, 1940 INVENTOR. Z770 C(j Peterson. 7 BY Patented July 21, 1942 LIQUID CONTROL DEVICE FOR DUPLICAT- ING MACHINES Eric W. Peterson, Oak Park, IlL, assignor to Ditto, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of West Virginia Application October 14, 1940, Serial No. 361,068

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a liquid control device for duplicating machines.

Wet process duplicating machines are provided with a drum to which a master sheet may be secured, the characters on the master sheet being written in reverse in a soluble A pressure roll is also provided which bears against the drum and i adapted to press a copy sheet against the master sheet so that a small amount of the ink, which forms characters on the master sheet, may be transferred to the copy sheet. Means are provided for applying a small amount of solvent to the surface of the copy sheet a it is being fed to the bight of the drum and pressure roll. The legibility and clearness of the characters formed on the copy sheet, as Well as the number of copy sheets which may be used with each master sheet, are determined in large measure by the-amount of solvent applied to the surface of the copy sheet.

Certain types of moistening means require priming after a period of non-use. The priming means in the duplicating apparatus herein described is associated with the means which regulate the amount of solvent applied to the copy sheet. Although duplicating apparatus of-this type may be provided with a motor which not only drives the drum but also causes operation of the moistening means, it is desirable to perform the priming operation manually inasmuch as the priming may be more closely controlled. Over-priming will ruin the master sheet.

An object of my invention i to provide improved means for controlling the moistening mechanism of a wet process duplicating apparatus.

A further object is to provide improved means for controlling the amount of solvent which is supplied to the moistening means for subsequent application to a copy sheet.

A still further object is to provide means whereby the priming operation must be performed manually and whereby the priming mechanism will automatically become inoperative at the conclusion of the priming operation.

Still another object is to provide a combine-d control means for both regulating the amount of solvent supply and for priming the moistening means.

Other objects, features and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts:

Fig, 1 is an elevation of a preferred embodi- .line 22 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5, are sections taken along lines 3-3, 44, and 5-5, respectively, of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Referring now to Fig. 1, reference numerals l and H represent the two side frame members of a duplicating machine, the side frame member ll being broken away. A front frame member I2 and a rear frame member l3 are also provided. A drum I4 is suitably journalled in the side frame members and a pressure roll I is suitably mounted for cooperation therewith. A moistening and upper feed roll I 6 is also rotatably journalled in the side frames, and a lower feed roll I! is resiliently mounted for cooperation therewith.

A moistener indicated generally by reference numeral I8 is mounted adjacent the upper feed roll l6 and functions so as to apply a thin film of .solvent to the surface of the roll. The moistener may be any one of a number of types, the one being shown herein being of the type in which solvent is supplied directly onto the surface-of the upper feed roll by means of a pump [9, and in which a wiper may be employed to distribute the solvent uniformly over the surface of the upper feed roll.

A tank is provided at the rear portion of the machine, a portion of the tank being broken away to indicate the pump [9 which is mounted therein. The pump includes a plunger 2| which extends upwardly through the top of the tank, the plunger being adapted to be raised, by means hereinafter described, on it inoperative stroke and being provided with a spring 22 to urge the plunger downwardly for its operative stroke. A conduit 23 leads from the pump l9 to the moistener [8, the tank being provided with a filling pipe 24 and a liquid level gauge 25.

A feed tray 26 is positioned above the tank at the rear end of the machine and a receiving tray 21 is mounted at the front end of the machine.

A motor 28 is suitably mounted at the rear end and is provided with a pulley 29 over which a belt 30 passes to drive the pulley 3|. A pulley 32, associated with the pulley 3|, drives a pulley 34 by means of a belt 33. A pinion 35 is aiiixed to the pulley 34 and meshes with a gear 36 which is afi'ixed to the drum 14. A gear 3! may be associated with the drum, either directly or by means of an intermittent driving means, this gear meshing with an intermediate pinion 38 which drives a pinion 39. The latter pinion is secured to the upper feed roll It so that the feed roll may be driven from th drum. The above mentioned intermittent driving means may be employed when it is desired to rotate the drum continuously so that the feed rolls may be interrupted in order that a copy sheet may be positioned against the feed rolls. A trip bar 43 is provided to control the operation of the motor. motor controlling means are not a part of thisinvention and are not herein disclosed in detail.

Means are provided to bia the pressure roll 15 against the drum I4, and a pressure control knob 4| is provided for the regulation of such pressure.

ll against the upper feed roll It are also'provided, the last named means also being under thepressure control knob 4!}- These means are described in detail in the pending application-of Robert F. Morrison, Serial No; 354,981 'which'wasfiled August 31, 1940.

A handle 42 may be provided for the actuation of gripping means for the master sheet-through the intermediation of the expanding cams 53. A master sheet" feed tray it may also be provided for cooperation with said gripping means. The details of this are not a part of this invention but are disclosed in Patent No.- 2,195,491 which issued April 2, 1940 to AlfredMarchev.

This invention is primarily concerned with the solvent supplyingmechanism and the control means therefor. As indicated above, the general type of moistening means with which-the solvent supply mechanism is associated, is the one which is supplied'with a'measured amount of liquid during each cycle of the machines operation.

Thus the requisite amount ofsolvent isavailable for the proper moistening of each'copy sheet' irrespective of the rate at whichthe oopy" sheets are fed into the machine.

In the preferred embodiment hereindisclosedthis result is accomplished by means of the pump l9 which is automatically operated once during eachrevolution of thedruml Adjusting nuts' l'zi are provided: at the" upper end of the pump plunger Zlf and a washer 4t islocated on'the plunger immediately below the adjustingnuts to serve as a" bearing surface for the end "of the pump lever 4.1. The pump lever is pivoted upon a stud 48 extending inwardly from'the side frame member I I and the lower end of 'the'pump lever G1 terminatesin'a roller 49. A forwardly ex-- tendingactuating arm 'fiii'is also pivoted on the stud 48 and is suitably secured to the pump'lever 41. A cam rider in the form of a roller 5! is provided at the upper end of the actuating arm and cooperates with a cam 52 which is secured to the drum l4. It will be seen that with every revolution of the drum, the cam 52 will-cause the cam roller 5| and the pump lever ii to be slowly rotated in the clockwise direction, thereby lifting the pump plunger 2I.- At a predetermined point in the rotation of the drum, the drop portion 53 of the cam 52- will permit the spring 22 to force the plunger 2i downwardly and to supply a measured amount of solvent to the moistener IS; the quantity of solvent thus supplied is determined by regulating the length of the pump stroke. 7

As indicated in Fig. 2, the side frame II is apertured and is provided with a boss 54 'W1'll0h' extends inwardly therefrom so that a shaft 55' The intermittent driving means and the Means for biasing the lower feed roll may be journalled therein. A knob 56 is suitably secured to one end of the shaft 55 and a cam member 51 is suitably secured to the other end of the shaft, the cam member being on the inward side and the knob being on the outer exposed side of the frame member. The cam member 51 is provided with an arm 59 which limits the rotation of the member in clockwise direction in Fig. 4. At the opposite end of the operative cam face of the member, a recess 6!] is provided, with a projecting portion beyond the recess serving' to limit rotation of the member in counterclockwise direction in said Fig. 4.

A dial 6| is secured to the outer surface of the side frame member II and is provided with indicia fizthereon'." A pointer e3 issecured to the knob 56, the pointer cooperating with the indicia to-indicate-the position of the cam 51. When the knob ismanually rotated so that the pointer is opposite 0 it will be seen that the cam is rotated into one extreme position sothat the projection 59 is positioned'against the roller. The pump lever' 41' is" thus displaced' in "the clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. i so that the pump plunger 2! is" withdrawn to' its extreme upper 'limit;and the roller 5lis held" out of engagement with the cam 52. Rotation of the'drum and the cam '52'will not cause operation of the pump when the camis in this position. When the pointer is opposite l, the plunger H is withdrawn to a somewhat lesse1ex1nent-, and the supplied to the moistene'r'lB with each revolution of the drum.

A series of apertures Stare formed-in the dial" 6|, these apertures extendingfro'mthe indicium O to the indicium 4. A pin65 is providedon the point or member '63, which is-adapted to-fit into any one of theapertures-BG'; so that the knob and'the cam may be'locked' into its adjusted position? Compression springv68- is-=positioned between the bOSS S tand the'canr 51 *to urge the knobinwardly and the-piniizi-into-one of the apertures 64. 1

After the machine'- has been "standing idle for a period of several hours it isnecessary toprime the moistenerfifi; and this iseffectedby-withdrawing the knobandrotating' it back 'andforth--- so that thepointermoves to and from the P position,

trolled operation inasmuch as too much' priming will cause damage to the 'mas-ter sheet;-

so that the pump lever 5T is causedto oscillate; the roller 19 ridingiinandout of the recess 60', thereby manually actuating the pump plunger==2 l Subsequent to-the "priming" operation; the knob may be rotated backinto the desired position-for normal operation; for"'instance"' to a 'position wherein the pointer is opposite-Q or '3.

To guard against the po'ssibility that the icarn' 5T mightbe left in'the priming 'positionnurin'gi subsequent operation of the machine, and thereby cause the master'sheet to bedarnaged, provision is made to automaticallylcause return'of the cam:

to a position wherein the length ofth'e pump stroke is limited: This is accomplished'bypr o 61 in the cam '51. The compression spring- .68

The number of such primingstrokesnecessary is determinedby the type ofmoist-enerused. In any event this must be a closely con-' The" priming strokes cause the "cam 51 'to 'be rotated is provided with a bent-over end 69 which extends into the slot 66, and a bent-up end which fits into the slot 61. When the parts are assembled the spring 68 may be tensioned so that the spring 68 causes the cam 51 and its associated parts to be tensioned in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, or the clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4:. The compression spring thus acts also as a torsion spring to cause rotation of the knob 56 away from its priming position to the 4 position, at which point the pin 65 drops into one of the apertures 54. In this position, the cam 51 restricts the amplitude of oscillation of the lever QT to such an extent that the master sheet will not be damaged by too great a solvent supply.

It will be noted that the pump spring 22, through the medium of the pump lever 41 and the roller 49, acts on the cam 51 in opposition to the spring 68. If the recess Si] is of suficient depth, the spring 68 may not be strong enough to cause the roller 49 to be lifted out of the recess. However, as soon as the motor is started, the cam 52 causes displacement of the lever 4'! so that the roller G9 clears the detent, thereby permitting the cam 51 to be rotated away from its priming position.

Because of the fact that the action of the spring 68 opposes the action of the pump spring 22, the manual priming operation is facilitated.

It will be seen that in the construction herein shown the pump may be actuated manually for the priming operation, or automatically during normal operation of the machine. The knob 55 is used for'both the manual priming operation and also to regulate the length of the pump stroke during automatic operation of the pump. The control means herein disclosed prevent the pump from operating with a full stroke during automatic operation.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A wet process duplicating machine comprising driving means, moistening means, priming means for said moistening means, and means to render said priming means inoperative during operation of said driving means.

2. A duplicating machine comprising a moistening device, a pump for supplying solvent thereto, automatic means for actuating said pump, manual control means for regulating the displacement of said pump and also adapted to actuate the same manually, means to lock said control means in certain positions, and means to bias the same into one of said positions during actuation of said pump by said automatic means.

3. A duplicating machine comprising a moistening means, a pump for supplying solvent to said moistening means, a plunger for said pump, a rotatable cam for causing reciprocation of said plunger, means for rotating said cam, manually controlled means associated with said plunger for reciprocating said plunger at full stroke to prime said moistening means, and means for causing said manually controlled means to become locked in a position wherein the stroke of said plunger is limited during operation of said rotatable cam.

4. A duplicating machine comprising a moistening means, a pump for supplying solvent to said moistening means, a plunger for said pump, a rotatable cam for causing reciprocation of said plunger, means for rotating said cam, a manually reciprocable cam associated with said plunger and provided with a detent to indicate full stroke position of said plunger, means biasing said manually reciprocable cam into a position wherein the stroke of said plunger is limited when said plunger is reciprocated by said rotatable cam, and means for releasing said detent when said rotatable cam begins to rotate.

5. Solvent control means for a duplicating machine comprising a pump, automatic means for operating said pump, manual means for operating said pump, said manual means being adapted to remain set in certain predetermined positions to limit the displacement of said pump during operation of said automatic means, and means for causing said manual means to move into one of said predetermined positions when said automatic means begins its operation.

6. Solvent control means for a duplicating machine comprising a pump, automatic means for operating said pump, a manually actuated cam for operating said pump, said manually actuated cam being adapted to remain set in certain predetermined positions to limit the displacement of said pump, and spring means for causing said manually actuated cam to move into one of said predetermined positions when said automatic means is operative.

7. Solvent control means for a duplicating machine comprising a pump, automatic means for operating said pump, a cam adapted for manual oscillation for operating said pump and adapted to control the pump displacement during automatic operation, means to lock said cam in certain predetermined positions corresponding to certain lesser degrees of displacement of said pump, and means biasing said cam from a position corresponding to a greater degree of pump displacement into one of said predetermined positions whereby said cam may automatically assume its control function during automatic operation of said pump.

8. In a duplicating machine, a pump plunger for supplying solvent to a moisture, spring means to actuate said plunger on its operative stroke, a lever to actuate said plunger in opposition to said spring means, manual control means engaging said lever to limit the stroke of said plunger, and capable of manual oscillation for manually operating said plunger, means for biasing said control means into a locked position wherein said stroke is limited, and means engaging said lever to cause automatic operation of said plunger and to cause said lever to become disengaged from said manual control means so as to permit said biasing means to become operative.

9. In a duplicating machine, a moistener requiring priming, a pump for supplying solvent thereto, a pump lever, a spring acting on said pump lever for operating said pump, manual control means associated with said pump lever and adapted to be locked in a position wherein the stroke of said pump is, limited and adapted to be manually displaced therefrom for operating said pump to prime said moistener, second spring means acting in opposition to said first mentioned spring on said lever through the intermediation of said manual control means to facilitate the priming operation, and additional means engagingsaidleverfor operating said pump subsequent to saidpriming operation,; whereby: displacement of said: lever ;by said additional;meanapermiils said secondspringmeans to cause, return of said;

manual .control means :to locked-position.

10. Moistening meansfor aduplicatinglma chinecomprising a .moistening roller, means in;-

member adapted by operative engagement; Wiigh) the plunger to movethe .plungerinthe opposite.

direction, automatic means for oscillating said pivoted member, manual means for. oscillating said pivotedsmember, and means for biasing said. manual. means into a predetermined ,position whereinit is engaged ,by said pivoted member to,

restrict theamplitude of oscillation .thereof when actuated bysaid automatic means.

ll..In a duplicatingmachine, a .moistener. a

pump for supplying solvent. to said moistener, a pump actuating lever, a first cam for, cooperation.

with said lever to automatically actuate ,said pump, a second cam cooperatingwith said lever for manually .cperatingsaid .1ever.-.and forrestricting the oscillation thereof when actuated by said first.cam,.a knobassociated with saidsec-v ondcam, means to lock the. knob .ina position to.

restrict the oscillationbf said. lever whenactu-. ated by saidfirstcam, and meanstocauseautoe matic return of said knob ,into said locked position alter manuaLmanipulation thereof .to manually operate said pump actuating lever.

12. Solvent control means for. duplicating ape paratus comprising a stop plate having a series of apertures therein, a manually adjustable knob providedwith a projection for cooperation with said apertures, means to bias said knob against said plate in an axial direction, and means to bias said knob rotatably. whereby after manual displacement, said knob will be automatically rotated back and locked into a predetermined position with respect to said stop. plate.

13. Solvent control means for duplicating apparatus comprising a rotatable and axially displaceableshaft extending through a frame member. of said apparatus, a knob on said shaft exteriorly of said frame member, a control cam on said shaft interiorly of said frame member, a coil spring confined between said frame member and said cam, the endsof said spring being associated with each of said last named elements so that said spring exerts a torque on said shaft, and means to permit said shaft to be axially displaced by said spring into a predetermined position wherein it is locked against further rotation by said spring.

14*. Solvent control means for duplicating apparatus comprising a rotatable and axially displaceable shaft extending through a frame member of said apparatus, a knob onsaid shaft exteriorly of ,said frame member, a control cam on said shaft interiorly of said frame member,

meansto lock said knob in a predetermined angular position, and a combination compression and torsion spring associated with said frame member and said cam to bias, said knob into locked position.

15. A moistener control means for a duplicating machine comprising a manually adjustable priming knob, a stop plate, means to biassaid knob axially against said stop plate, means for locking said knob in a predetermined rotatable position with respect to said plate. and means to rotatably bias said knob into said predetermined position after the manual displacement thereof into priming position.

16. .Moistener. control means of the class described comprising a manually adjustable control and priming knob, means for locking said knob in certain. predetermined positions .correspond-. ing to the normal operatingadjustments of the moistener, and means to rotatably bias said knob.

into one of said predetermined-positions. after the manual displacement. thereof into priming position.

ERIC W. PETERSON. 

